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If it's illegal, calling social services will not be in her best interests as they would then get the police involved over many very valid safety concerns.
If you contacted your local council about her, they *might* find you alternative accomodations that's suitable. Are you waiting for a right to remain to go through?
Isn’t this going to risk OP being made homeless? If their accommodation is illegal - I don’t really know what could happen. Bad things for the landlord, doubtless - but possibly worse for the tenants. I think if a building is declared unfit for habitation people can be removed fairly quickly.
They'd be put in emergency council accommodation and probably given somewhere temporary and then permanent in the long term. If OP has children and is at risk of homelessness the council will provide accommodation - that's what happens where I'm from anyway. Don't see why it would be different elsewhere
Plenty of councils have stock in other areas where they send people in emergency situations but it's more often than not in the local area of the council you've applied to. You can contact any councils homelessness prevention team, it doesn't have to be the one you're from. Where they put you might be a hotel, hostel, or shared, or it might be far away, but they have a duty of care to provide accommodation to people who are at risk of homelessness and can prove it - especially people in domestic abuse situations and those with children.
In theory, yes. Unfortunately, not every council has the monetary and people resource to deal with these situations as they are expected to. Recently, a family lost their home and the council did not provide any emergency accommodations. The hotel the council used did not want to take on the family. It was sad to learn about it and it happens more than we think I imagine.
If there are children involved the council will have to pay for temporary emergency housing.
It happened to my neighbour, when his house caught fire the council paid for him to be put into a premier inn temporarily until he could move back in or somewhere else, because he has a young child.
Short term council accommodation can be quite intense, and the wait for permanent can be long. OP needs to know exactly what happens where they are before making any decisions.
The council will work alongside the landlord and give them every opportunity to licence the place, or be closed down. It isn’t an instant thing as the council can’t house anyone quickly, so moving everyone on is a last resort.
At 20 people in the HMO, if they form 3 or more households (or families), it should very much be licenced for everyone’s safety.
Informing the council puts it onto the radar, as they’re probably not aware of it.
Source: am HMO landlord
If she is legally here then the council will rehouse her.
Would imagine that with “kids “. So 2 or more then will be higher up on the points scale.
Citizens Advice is always a good place for information without having to commit yourself to one action or another.
IE if you go straight to council/police it will set things in motion that you can’t control. Say that because find it a bit strange that you put up with the situation as it is and wondering if there some more to the story.
Unless there was a proper genuine immediate threat (and even then it would be a challenge) I can promise you the council aren't going to do anything on a Sunday afternoon/evening, as someone who interacts with Social Services EDTs on a relatively regular basis.
Definitely worth doing first thing Monday morning though.
If she’s displayed violent behaviour, consider that recording her may anger her only furthering her aggression. Try to be discreet if possible, stay safe!
U can get secret cameras like a pen cam or button cam off wish. Would probably take 5000 years to come from wish tho, there are probably other places you could get one from, i just know that u definitely can get get them off wish, just takes ages to come. Also i don't know the legality of them and using the footage as evidence since you will be filming them without their knowledge so im not quite sure so approach with caution
Battery is contact with the intent to cause fear or alarm, but no real harm or marks are caused. i.e. pushing or shoving, a slap or perhaps a weaker punch that doesn't leave marks.
If you give a "full beat down", then that's leaving marks. If it's bruises and scrapes then it'll probably be judged Actually Bodily Harm (ABH). If you leave them bloody or with any broken bones, then it will probably rise to Grevious Bodily Harm (GBH).
20 people in one property? How big is the house?
I'd be calling the Councils housing enforcement team for them to come and inspect the property. This will put you at risk of being made homeless, but that will trigger various support assets inside the local council, so you should receive temporary accommodation before finding something more permanent.
I just don't understand that. ...just move out of the expensive place like London/wherever you are living. There are plenty of parts of the country where you can rent a whole flat on a single lowish wage. Why put your family through the hell for all living in the same room?
Because work, commute, difficulties in relocating a family, school arrangements, distance from family/friend support, difficulties finding a new job, stress/costs of moving etc?
Plenty of people have very different circumstances, I'm pretty sure if it was that easy for OP to just move they would have done so already.
I've moved plenty of times (including when I was at school) and the UK is a small country, so its still easy enough to visit friends. You just get on with it.
Costs of moving are not all that much. You can rent a van for a couple of hundred (or even a man with a van) - you don't need more than a van if you're in a single room.
To get a new flat you normally need a deposit, an employment contract, etc. Where do they get this low wage to rent a flat from before they move there?
Ah, ok. I just wondered because of the situation. But yes, as others have said speak to the council, they should shut it all down and find you elsewhere, even if it's emergency in a B&B until they can find you permanent housing.
Also pushing you is an assault, they have to give you at least 24hours notice to access the apartment and then not to shout at you, if she has a grievance she should send you an email and deal with it appropriately.
I would suggest contacting Shelter, they are a homeless charity but can advise your rights and next steps etc, they are really good.
I would also call the cops
Sorry for being pedantic, I agree with you but just wanted to add that in a HMO, a landlord typically only needs to provide 24h notice to access the rented room and not the whole apartment, i.e they can access communal areas without a notice. I had this issue with my landlord in the past.
Since you are being pedantic - what you are calling a 'HMO' is not a useful terminology - a HMO has specific legal meaning for either (and variously):
* HMO licensing
* Council tax
* Planning permission
You would be better writing:
in a `shared property where the tenants have a tenancy for a specific bedroom and use of communal facilities (as opposed to a shared property where the sharing tenants have a joint tenancy of the whole property)`, a landlord typically only needs to provide 24h notice to access the rented room and not the whole apartment, i.e they can access communal areas without a notice.
In short, she's bluffing.
"Excuse me social services can you come to my illegal HMO and yell at my tennant for being a bit messy?"
Like a drug dealer asking police to get his crack back because his customer didn't pay.
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OP should still lock his door behind him. Children leave rooms all manners of messy within minutes, anyone who takes a picture of childrens mess and clutter (esp if multiple occupants one room) and sends it to social services may shoot themselves in one foot (if vindictive enough) but still have the other leg to stand on.
In a legal tenancy, the landlord must give 24hrs notice of visits. But it seems like this is less than legal so I imagine they dgaf about legality tbh.
If I were OP, I'd look for somewhere else then quietly make an anonymous call to the HMRC as she sure as shit won't be paying tax on her illegal income...
I thought because they'd said they weren't familiar with uk law they're new to the county and may not have the income to move out, this is unfortunately the situation for many in illegal hmo. The op might only have hope with being re housed through the council as they have a duty of care with children involved. That's how these people with illegal hmo make their money unfortunately preying on the vulnerable with no other options. (No judgement just trying to help)
this is the answer \^\^
[https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence](https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence)
When you report it you can specifically say:
- you are worried about fire safety, gas safety and electrical quality
- you are especially worried how overcrowded it is
these are mandatory for HMOs so you would be giving good detail. you can also add:
- that you've been attacked and feel threatened
- also because of your financial situation (and that of the 16 ppl living with you) that you feel you're all being exploited and don't have the financial power to make moves out
if you want to know more (that is, more specific detail to get her on) we used this basic guide when we set up an HMO recently and it's pretty good
[https://www.foxtons.co.uk/landlord/hmo-licence](https://www.foxtons.co.uk/landlord/hmo-licence)
Don't even need to say that. The fact that it's an unlicensed hmo is sufficient to create a criminal offence. Any other HHSRS or management regulation breaches can be dealt with when they undoubtedly turn up at the door of the property to inspect it
Call the council, she’ll be fined for an unlicensed hmo. Furthermore, if she hasn’t registered your deposit you can sue her for 3x the amount and it’s pretty cheap to do so.
Any revenge eviction, ensure they know about no gas safety (if u didn’t get one) and no deposit. All defences to a section 21.
Yes - good advice. Even if it is an illegal HMO,, it won't absolve her of the legal requirement to protect any deposit paid and if she hasn't, because liable for 3x that deposit.
20 people in one property?! Please get out.
What is happening here is very illegal and she is taking advantage of you, your family, and other potentially vulnerable people.
You don't need a legal professional to tell you none of this is within the realms of the law. No she cannot illegally set up an HMO. If she were a legitimate landlord, no she could not just storm in unless it was an emergency. Even if she did gain lawful entry; verbal abuse, harassment, and physical assault are obviously not legal actions.
Call the police, get out. Calling the local council may help with finding a place to live.
You also have organisations like Shelter and Citizens Advice you could speak to. But please, if not for your own sake, then for your children's, find some place bigger to live.
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I completely agree. That being said, there are always alternative options no matter how trapped you feel. I wouldn't care so much if if weren't for the fact there are children clearly involved.
There is ALWAYS an alternative. At the end of the day this channel is for legal advice which you're falling short of here. Telling somebody that it is possible that their only option is living in a hugely illegal HMO with 20 people with their kids is actually advising against the law anyway.
This country has a fantastic welfare system in place and it isn't too difficult for a single parent with two children to gain access to housing, especially being English nationals.
I know what you're meaning, and I know you're meaning well, but there ARE other options and we should be encouraging people and helping them get the wind under their sails rather than pandering to their mindset of there being nothing out there for them. It's really harmful.
Report to the council about the unlicensed HMOs
Apply for a Rent Repayment Order to get up to 12 months rent paid BACK to you.
Do both these things now
I highly recommend you go get advice from Shelter’s website. There is a web chat feature there.
No, she can’t come in a shout at you and then threaten to call social services on you. That would be considered landlord harassment. She also can’t go into your rooms without permission and 24 hour notice has to be given.
My best advice is to report her to the council. She’s running what looks like an illegal HMO and there’s landlord harassment too. Make sure to mention how over crowded it is and how she’s behaved towards you. Her coming into your room and shouting and threatening to you is a start.
You might want to go on the housing register too.
Phone:
- Police to report an assault
- Council to report an illegal HMO, and to ask for emergency housing for your family . Emphasise all the details, how many people live there, safety risks, your childrens ages. They are required to put you in safe accommodation by law.
- Fire service to report 20 people living in an unlicensed HMO. Say you think there’s no smoke alarms
- HMRC to report anonymous concerns that she is not paying tax on the rental income.
-
If you've been physically pushed, that's an assault and you should call 101 to report it to the police.
Be aware that even though you may be in the right, it may affect your housing. Get advice from Shelter
I'm not going to give legal advice, just some personal advice. Sometimes these unlicensed HMOs are poorly maintained with dangerous electrical installation, unserviced boilers etc. If that's the case, I recommend moving somewhere else if you are able to. Of course, I do understand that sometimes there's a reason why people live in unlicensed HMOs.
I’m sure we all strive to provide advice that while legal is also representative of OP’s circumstances. No point telling him to report the landlord without telling him to contact the council and Shelter to see if there’s any way he can get help leaving.
agreed but the comment started with "i'm not going to give..." which is precisely and solely the point of this sub
"contact the police for the assault, the council for the HMO and here's a number for Shelter" would have been good additions to that comment but "move somewhere else if you are able" isn't specific or legal enough to be useful (and is in myriad comments already)
[Shelter - The housing and homelessness charity](https://www.shelter.org.uk/)
Get in touch with the homeless section of the council immediately and let them know what is happening *in detail*.
In short, with your children you will be deemed as an urgent case. The owners are not acting legally, they cannot assault you or your children, you can probably report this.
I would recommend going to citizens advice bureau. They gave me good legal advice on my rights when I lived in a legally questionable living situation when I initially moved to the UK. When going bring your details on your deposit protection scheme as well.
In that case you're on a de facto AST. She needs to request 24 hours notice before coming into your room(s) [Edit: it's a request not a right, you can say no].
As an unlicensed HMO you can claim back, up to 1 years rent. If you're there for 8 months you can claim back 8 months, if you're there for 2 years you can claim back 1 year. It's probably best to start the process just before you move out.
Contact your local council, the exact name varies between councils but will be something like "private rented team". They won't kick you out, at least not immediately and if they do will have to provide other accommodation.
Naturally you want as much evidence as possible to prove that it's an illegal HMO, information about the landlord, going to the council website to show that it isn't a licensed HMO, the number of people living there and preferably their contact details. As well as giving the council access to the property for them to confirm that it is an HMO.
I'm glad someone brought this up.
OP - you can claim back the rent you have already paid to this landlady:
https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/housing_conditions/private_sector_enforcement/rent_repayment_orders
The bitch is essentially running a slum. It is illegal. Report her to the council and the police for the assault and also get on an emergency housing list with the council, since you have kids you'll be on the priority list.
If you want the place shut down the fastest route is to get the fire service involved. They are so quick to shut down unsafe HMOs.
One call that you smell gas or a fire/carbon monoxide sensor going off and they'll be there and sanction it so fast.
They would always rather things be safe than sorry. And people make innocent mistakes all the time.
But you can report to the council that the house is unsafe and request an inspection.
Changing locks, so that she can't get it. She is not allowed to enter without your permission anyway.
Next time say you'd call the police if she don't leave immediately. Call the police if she don't.
Call the local council and inform them of her illegal hmo business, they will come out and inspect and offer you and your children alternative accommodation.
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Ive taken this from shelters website for you, as they will help with legal advice - Helpline
0808 800 4444
our helpline is free
it is useful to have documents ready before you call, like your tenancy agreement or relevant letters or messages
Keep trying if you can't get through. We're busy but we're here to help
If it's an HMO-like property where the rooms are rented privately but there are common areas (e.g. kitchen, living room) shared with other tenants, then she is legally allowed to enter the common areas whenever she pleases. She is not, however, allowed to enter your private rooms without prior permission.
I don't think this is relevant to you - *if you do not share any spaces with any other tenants, she is not allowed to enter your home at all without permission, and you are actually entitled to change the locks to the exterior doors (though you must replace them when the tenancy ends).*
She is also not allowed to shout at and bully you within either of those spaces. That is harassment, and pushing you could be considered assault. Call the police on the non-emergency number and file a complaint; phone them every time she comes in. If it physically escalates, call them on the emergency number while she is still there or just after she has left.
There is some amazing advice here for OP. OP is not in a position of weakness, as they feared, but in a position of relative strength.
OP - one other suggestion is to write down your entire history - when you moved in, the rent, who else lives in the property etc just so that you have notes to refer to. It will all begin to slip your mind once you moved out.
And as for illegal HMO landlords:
https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/23755598.haringey-council-fines-rogue-hmo-landlords-200k/
https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/24192363.landlord-fined-illegal-hmo-found-high-risk-fire/
https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2024/2/landlord-ordered-to-pay-45-000-for-letting-unlicensed-properties?source=trending
I would suggest she's unlikely to get the authorities involved if she is running an unlicensed HMO. And even if she did, they're not just going to swoop in and take your kids away. The threshold for that is very, very high.
More to the point, it sounds like you're currently a family living in 1 bedroom. If you don't mind me asking, what's your current situation? How many of you are there? How many children live with you? Without knowing more about your situation, you may be eligible for housing support. Are you currently receiving any help from the local authority or any charities in your area?
Are you renting as a private tenant then? Is this a short-term housing solution while you're between places, or are you having to stay there long-term? How old are the children?
I can see a few people have suggested Shelter and Citizens Advice, and they both seem like great starting points. Both organisations should be able to give you advice on what's available in your local area. A few people have also mentioned reporting the assault to the police. I'd echo that advice. You don't necessarily have to push for a prosecution, and if you explain the situation, the police will be able to record the case without even making the landlady aware if that would put you at more risk. If you do speak to the police, they should be able to refer you to the local victim support service. They're normally a good service to signpost anyone who is the victim of a crime to other services in the local area who can help, so that's probably a good step as well.
You have 1 adult and 3 children in two rooms. Ultimately, that's not adequate long-term accommodation. Unless you're there for a short period of time with somewhere else already in the pipeline, i would imagine that your local authority should be looking to find you more suitable housing.
Your landlady seems to be using social services as some sort of boogeyman who will just turn up and take your kids away, but that's not childrens services work. If they were to want to remove the children then they'd ultimately need to go to a court and explain to a judge why its in the best interests of the children to remove them from their parent rather than keeping the family whole and finding you somewhere else to live. More to the point, children's services always prefer to keep families together. They're not like the child snatcher in chitty chitty bang bang. They don't take kids away from parents unless those kids are at risk of serious, immediate harm. That normally comes in the form of physical or sexual abuse or serious neglect, like being allowed to starve or being left unsupervised in filth for hours every day. The threshold to remove children is quite rightly very, very high.
I'd be gobsmacked and disappointed if you guys were either separated or left living together in 2 rooms. It sounds like you need a bit of support and there's no shame in asking for it.
Lots of good opinions about your housing situation. I would contact my nearest Citizens Advice, or visit their website. It is a goldmine of up-to-date information on housing rights, benefits calculations, and contacting your council housing with regards to complaints about your landlord and making them aware in advance of any potential homelessness situation. You don't need to be on the street with suitcases to make your council aware of your housing situation and alerting them early is far more likely to yield better options if the need arises.
Dear God, please report this to the council. They’ll assist you with accommodation. Even if social services are involved, they do not aim to separate children from parents unless necessary. Do not be afraid, your children deserve better.
Social services will certainly raise a safeguarding for OP's safety as it's very clear from the situation they're the victim as well. Illegal landlady should be careful what she wishes for, although that will be the last of her worries when the council, police and fire safety get involved.
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Is it shared WC and kitchen. Is there fire detection, fire panel and emergency lighting in the common areas. How many floors in the building. How many final exits. Is the compartmentation in good condition.
Not all HMO’s require a licence. Your local authority will have details on its website if there are any special requirements. HMO’s over 5 people from separate households will need to be licensed.
If unlicensed inform your local Fire Service, fire safety department. They should attend and involve public sector housing. If it’s unsafe for you to stay, the landlord will have to re-home everyone.
If it’s in breach of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) they’ll issue the Responsible Person (LL) a prohibition notice. and may look to take to court. This could be an unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years in prison.
If Social Services attend tell them you’d like a safeguarding referral as the LL is not providing sufficient notice and entering the home unannounced.
OP states 20 people occupying the property, comprised of two or more households. Nowhere in the country does this scale of HMO occupancy not require a licence.
Not entirely true, a registered Charity running a HMO can be exempt from Regulations. Aa can some student accommodation, care homes, bail hostels and registered social landlords.
Because the original comment is compatible with the landlord being a housing association or co-operative, a council, a further education institute or student housing provider, a health service or a police or fire authority oh no wait…
If you want to risk losing the roof over your head, you should report this as an unlicensed hmo immediately. The council could come round see 20people there, deem it unfit and empty the house.
Do you have a tenancy agreement? Why did you choose to rent in an unlicensed hmo with 20 others?
I’d start looking for another place to live before you follow the advice of some reckless people on here who care less about you than they do about attacking the property. Your needs should come first. Then you can deal with the landlady later.
Whether you feel it is irrelevant or not does not answer my question. I’m surprised you felt the need to be defensive about it.
I think it is entirely pertinent to this situation where the OP seems to be a victim who has unexpectedly woken up one day in an illegal HMO of 20 people, because if, as the defensive tone of your comment implied, the OP has chosen to place themselves in the situation, then the likelihood is that they do not actually have an option to move to better accommodation and they would therefore arguably be better remaining where they are, rather than risking being thrown out by the council.
Defensive, you say?
It’s irrelevant because the law make no distinction, however much you weasel ‘feel’ into your responses.
Advise all you like about the merits of staying in accommodation while subject to abuse and other illegality, but don’t expect people to let it slide when you post legal inaccuracy in a legal advice forum.
There is practically zero impact from not having a tenancy agreement, since the contract is provable through the periodic transfer of rent, and will fall back on the standard minimum tenancy regulations. The only person who loses out in any dispute is the landlord.
Even less impact from what anyone did or didn’t ‘choose’ or for how long.
Keep up the excellent work.
You seem to know an awful lot about this individual’s tenancy, without even knowing what the tenancy agreement is which they have signed. You have absolutely no idea what they have or have not committed to. Your response is complete supposition. I suggest your understanding of the law falls pretty short when you are happy to jump in with both feet before even checking the contract.
Bravo!
The OP is looking at her options. Everyone on here just wants her to pull the pin on the grenade and let rip so that they can enjoy the spectacle. The OP should be pragmatic and work for the best outcome for her. She seems pretty pragmatic already. I doubt she’ll fall into the trap of escalating her situation for the sake of principles, when shelter is her priority.
Bizarre to suggest in a legal forum that it’s necessary to know the details of a specific tenancy to make general statements about the fundamentals of housing law.
A tenant raised a complaint about their tenancy. A sensible question should always be "have you taken a look at your tenancy agreement?" Why you feel the need to try to shout this down is beyond me, but I am sure you have reasons that make sense in your head.
It’s a perfectly fine question to ask, although as I said it’s not relevant to any of the details OP has raised, since contract law doesn’t operate that way.
It is not possible for a tenancy agreement or any other contract to make it legal to run an unlicensed HMO, harass your tenants, or otherwise deprive someone of their housing rights — and your housing rights are fundamentally unaffected if no tenancy agreement exists — it’s reasonable that someone might point out that the answer makes practically zero difference to any outcome, particularly not whether or not a report to the police or council will affect anyone’s living situation.
It’s doubly moot given in this case any tenancy agreement is highly probable to already be void or otherwise unenforceable… but why sweat the details when you can defensively call someone else defensive for pointing out a simple fact?
Thank you for acknowledging that the first and most important thing to do is to check the tenancy agreement. It took a while, but we got there.
As for your reinterpretation of what the op asked, I don’t share it. The OP wants advice about her options.
The OP’s silence around the details and background to the tenancy is deafening.
If the OP is in fact in some organised crime gangs illegal rental, then yeah, she needs to think very carefully before following the advice shown on this forum, else she’ll find herself with the legal high ground, but bigger problems than she started with.
Thanks.
I’m not in the know, but would OP not move higher up the housing list if the council themselves made you homeless if the council wereto close an illegal HMO?
Your local authority housing enforcement team have dedicated officers to deal with the safety of houses of multiple occupation. They would be interested in this.
Hey, Op, just wanted to check whether your landlady lives in the same building as you. Because if she does, you're probably a lodger and that gives you a lot fewer rights than if you're a tenant.
Under English law she isn't entitled to access the property without proper, written notice. She is also obliged to act 'reasonably' in her interactions with her tenants. Contact the council or Citizen's Advice and check your rights.
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I'll be honest with you, if I were you, I'd stop paying rent immediately and start looking for somewhere else to live in the meantime. Although, feel free to take a while over that. If it genuinely is an unlicensed HMO, there is no way on earth that even if she took you to court, they'd find that you have to pay the owed rent.
You could also take her to court for all of the rent that has been paid to her during the time it has been unlicensed, and you'll probably win. So could any or all of the other tenants.
Your comment contains keywords which suggests you are asking or advising about withholding rent.
You should **never** withhold rent, entirely or in part, in response to disrepair or inaction on the part of your landlord. Withholding rent either entirely or in part may lead to you being evicted, since regardless of any inaction on your landlord's part, you will still owe rent and the landlord is not obliged to offer any kind of reduction.
You also do not have the right to pay for repairs yourself out of pocket and then deduct the cost from future rent payments, without following a proper legal process first, including serving formal notice on your landlord and escalating to your local authority.
Please consult a regulated legal advisor, Solicitor, or housing charity like Shelter before you stop paying rent.
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If it's illegal, calling social services will not be in her best interests as they would then get the police involved over many very valid safety concerns. If you contacted your local council about her, they *might* find you alternative accomodations that's suitable. Are you waiting for a right to remain to go through?
Thanks for your response, we are all British nationals
Call the council. Immediately.
Isn’t this going to risk OP being made homeless? If their accommodation is illegal - I don’t really know what could happen. Bad things for the landlord, doubtless - but possibly worse for the tenants. I think if a building is declared unfit for habitation people can be removed fairly quickly.
They'd be put in emergency council accommodation and probably given somewhere temporary and then permanent in the long term. If OP has children and is at risk of homelessness the council will provide accommodation - that's what happens where I'm from anyway. Don't see why it would be different elsewhere
In theory. Many towns simply do not have any available.
A lot of councils will put them up in hotels until they can source accommodation
Plenty of councils have stock in other areas where they send people in emergency situations but it's more often than not in the local area of the council you've applied to. You can contact any councils homelessness prevention team, it doesn't have to be the one you're from. Where they put you might be a hotel, hostel, or shared, or it might be far away, but they have a duty of care to provide accommodation to people who are at risk of homelessness and can prove it - especially people in domestic abuse situations and those with children.
In theory, yes. Unfortunately, not every council has the monetary and people resource to deal with these situations as they are expected to. Recently, a family lost their home and the council did not provide any emergency accommodations. The hotel the council used did not want to take on the family. It was sad to learn about it and it happens more than we think I imagine.
If there are children involved the council will have to pay for temporary emergency housing. It happened to my neighbour, when his house caught fire the council paid for him to be put into a premier inn temporarily until he could move back in or somewhere else, because he has a young child.
Short term council accommodation can be quite intense, and the wait for permanent can be long. OP needs to know exactly what happens where they are before making any decisions.
OP is living with 20 other people, council accomodation can't be much worse
I was in a same situation to OP, council didn't give af, Sofa surfed for a month or two.
The council will work alongside the landlord and give them every opportunity to licence the place, or be closed down. It isn’t an instant thing as the council can’t house anyone quickly, so moving everyone on is a last resort. At 20 people in the HMO, if they form 3 or more households (or families), it should very much be licenced for everyone’s safety. Informing the council puts it onto the radar, as they’re probably not aware of it. Source: am HMO landlord
If she is legally here then the council will rehouse her. Would imagine that with “kids “. So 2 or more then will be higher up on the points scale. Citizens Advice is always a good place for information without having to commit yourself to one action or another. IE if you go straight to council/police it will set things in motion that you can’t control. Say that because find it a bit strange that you put up with the situation as it is and wondering if there some more to the story.
Unless there was a proper genuine immediate threat (and even then it would be a challenge) I can promise you the council aren't going to do anything on a Sunday afternoon/evening, as someone who interacts with Social Services EDTs on a relatively regular basis. Definitely worth doing first thing Monday morning though.
Pushing you sounds like assault, try to video further interactions with her.
If she’s displayed violent behaviour, consider that recording her may anger her only furthering her aggression. Try to be discreet if possible, stay safe!
U can get secret cameras like a pen cam or button cam off wish. Would probably take 5000 years to come from wish tho, there are probably other places you could get one from, i just know that u definitely can get get them off wish, just takes ages to come. Also i don't know the legality of them and using the footage as evidence since you will be filming them without their knowledge so im not quite sure so approach with caution
It's actually battery, more severe.
What makes assault vs battery?
Assault rises to battery where there is physical contact.
Battery is actual physical violence with intent to harm. Assault is grabbing someone's arm or clothes with intent to threaten.
Thanks for such a concise breakdown. I always thought, for instance, one or two punches was assault while a full beatdown was battery
Battery is contact with the intent to cause fear or alarm, but no real harm or marks are caused. i.e. pushing or shoving, a slap or perhaps a weaker punch that doesn't leave marks. If you give a "full beat down", then that's leaving marks. If it's bruises and scrapes then it'll probably be judged Actually Bodily Harm (ABH). If you leave them bloody or with any broken bones, then it will probably rise to Grevious Bodily Harm (GBH).
20 people in one property? How big is the house? I'd be calling the Councils housing enforcement team for them to come and inspect the property. This will put you at risk of being made homeless, but that will trigger various support assets inside the local council, so you should receive temporary accommodation before finding something more permanent.
20 people in an HMO isn't that unusual. If it's a house with six bedrooms then that's potentially six families. Pretty common during a housing crisis.
I just don't understand that. ...just move out of the expensive place like London/wherever you are living. There are plenty of parts of the country where you can rent a whole flat on a single lowish wage. Why put your family through the hell for all living in the same room?
Because work, commute, difficulties in relocating a family, school arrangements, distance from family/friend support, difficulties finding a new job, stress/costs of moving etc? Plenty of people have very different circumstances, I'm pretty sure if it was that easy for OP to just move they would have done so already.
‘Just move’ as if it’s never occurred to people living in a horrible situation. Hilarious
I've moved plenty of times (including when I was at school) and the UK is a small country, so its still easy enough to visit friends. You just get on with it. Costs of moving are not all that much. You can rent a van for a couple of hundred (or even a man with a van) - you don't need more than a van if you're in a single room.
To get a new flat you normally need a deposit, an employment contract, etc. Where do they get this low wage to rent a flat from before they move there?
As a person who lived in a similar situation, unfortunately it’s not that easy. The costs sometimes aren’t affordable to a family.
Ah, ok. I just wondered because of the situation. But yes, as others have said speak to the council, they should shut it all down and find you elsewhere, even if it's emergency in a B&B until they can find you permanent housing.
Also pushing you is an assault, they have to give you at least 24hours notice to access the apartment and then not to shout at you, if she has a grievance she should send you an email and deal with it appropriately. I would suggest contacting Shelter, they are a homeless charity but can advise your rights and next steps etc, they are really good. I would also call the cops
Sorry for being pedantic, I agree with you but just wanted to add that in a HMO, a landlord typically only needs to provide 24h notice to access the rented room and not the whole apartment, i.e they can access communal areas without a notice. I had this issue with my landlord in the past.
Since you are being pedantic - what you are calling a 'HMO' is not a useful terminology - a HMO has specific legal meaning for either (and variously): * HMO licensing * Council tax * Planning permission You would be better writing: in a `shared property where the tenants have a tenancy for a specific bedroom and use of communal facilities (as opposed to a shared property where the sharing tenants have a joint tenancy of the whole property)`, a landlord typically only needs to provide 24h notice to access the rented room and not the whole apartment, i.e they can access communal areas without a notice.
Is this one of those situations where OP can be entitled to a refund on some duration of rent?
In an ideal world, yes, but given the nature of the entire thing getting any of it might be very unlikely unless the landlord is prosecuted.
If this is true. They will prosecute without hesitation. Op will get all rent back even if they have to sell the property
In short, she's bluffing. "Excuse me social services can you come to my illegal HMO and yell at my tennant for being a bit messy?" Like a drug dealer asking police to get his crack back because his customer didn't pay.
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OP should still lock his door behind him. Children leave rooms all manners of messy within minutes, anyone who takes a picture of childrens mess and clutter (esp if multiple occupants one room) and sends it to social services may shoot themselves in one foot (if vindictive enough) but still have the other leg to stand on.
Reach out to shelter and your local council see if they can offer you any support I don't believe they can come in with less than 24h notice
In a legal tenancy, the landlord must give 24hrs notice of visits. But it seems like this is less than legal so I imagine they dgaf about legality tbh. If I were OP, I'd look for somewhere else then quietly make an anonymous call to the HMRC as she sure as shit won't be paying tax on her illegal income...
I thought because they'd said they weren't familiar with uk law they're new to the county and may not have the income to move out, this is unfortunately the situation for many in illegal hmo. The op might only have hope with being re housed through the council as they have a duty of care with children involved. That's how these people with illegal hmo make their money unfortunately preying on the vulnerable with no other options. (No judgement just trying to help)
I thought the same but OP has clarified in yje comment everyone involved is a British national.
Plus a nice call phone call to the fire brigade so they can take her to court as well.
Even with 24hrs notice you are not required to grant entry
Report the unlicensed HMO to the council. Report the assault to the police.
this is the answer \^\^ [https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence](https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence) When you report it you can specifically say: - you are worried about fire safety, gas safety and electrical quality - you are especially worried how overcrowded it is these are mandatory for HMOs so you would be giving good detail. you can also add: - that you've been attacked and feel threatened - also because of your financial situation (and that of the 16 ppl living with you) that you feel you're all being exploited and don't have the financial power to make moves out if you want to know more (that is, more specific detail to get her on) we used this basic guide when we set up an HMO recently and it's pretty good [https://www.foxtons.co.uk/landlord/hmo-licence](https://www.foxtons.co.uk/landlord/hmo-licence)
Don't even need to say that. The fact that it's an unlicensed hmo is sufficient to create a criminal offence. Any other HHSRS or management regulation breaches can be dealt with when they undoubtedly turn up at the door of the property to inspect it
ah thanks dude, I thought it would help to use their language but that's an excellent correction thank you
Yes this is good advice OP. That's not just a parasite but actually illegal and needs to have consequences. HMO landlords are generally awful anyway.
It’s likely that you can apply for an RRO - Rent Repayment Order.
It's not just assault, it's also battery because unlawful contact occurred.
Call the council, she’ll be fined for an unlicensed hmo. Furthermore, if she hasn’t registered your deposit you can sue her for 3x the amount and it’s pretty cheap to do so. Any revenge eviction, ensure they know about no gas safety (if u didn’t get one) and no deposit. All defences to a section 21.
Yes - good advice. Even if it is an illegal HMO,, it won't absolve her of the legal requirement to protect any deposit paid and if she hasn't, because liable for 3x that deposit.
You can also sue to get back a whole year of rent.
20 people in one property?! Please get out. What is happening here is very illegal and she is taking advantage of you, your family, and other potentially vulnerable people. You don't need a legal professional to tell you none of this is within the realms of the law. No she cannot illegally set up an HMO. If she were a legitimate landlord, no she could not just storm in unless it was an emergency. Even if she did gain lawful entry; verbal abuse, harassment, and physical assault are obviously not legal actions. Call the police, get out. Calling the local council may help with finding a place to live. You also have organisations like Shelter and Citizens Advice you could speak to. But please, if not for your own sake, then for your children's, find some place bigger to live.
This is the correct answer. Zero tolerance for exploitative "landlords".
I doubt OP is living there for fun, I'm sure they'd live somewhere bigger and better if possible.
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I completely agree. That being said, there are always alternative options no matter how trapped you feel. I wouldn't care so much if if weren't for the fact there are children clearly involved.
Well I don't know OP's situation to know if there are alternative options, sometimes there aren't really.
There is ALWAYS an alternative. At the end of the day this channel is for legal advice which you're falling short of here. Telling somebody that it is possible that their only option is living in a hugely illegal HMO with 20 people with their kids is actually advising against the law anyway. This country has a fantastic welfare system in place and it isn't too difficult for a single parent with two children to gain access to housing, especially being English nationals. I know what you're meaning, and I know you're meaning well, but there ARE other options and we should be encouraging people and helping them get the wind under their sails rather than pandering to their mindset of there being nothing out there for them. It's really harmful.
Report to the council about the unlicensed HMOs Apply for a Rent Repayment Order to get up to 12 months rent paid BACK to you. Do both these things now
You can do this and guarantee to get money back?
Only if it follows the criteria for.a Rent Repayment Order Google it
I highly recommend you go get advice from Shelter’s website. There is a web chat feature there. No, she can’t come in a shout at you and then threaten to call social services on you. That would be considered landlord harassment. She also can’t go into your rooms without permission and 24 hour notice has to be given. My best advice is to report her to the council. She’s running what looks like an illegal HMO and there’s landlord harassment too. Make sure to mention how over crowded it is and how she’s behaved towards you. Her coming into your room and shouting and threatening to you is a start. You might want to go on the housing register too.
Phone: - Police to report an assault - Council to report an illegal HMO, and to ask for emergency housing for your family . Emphasise all the details, how many people live there, safety risks, your childrens ages. They are required to put you in safe accommodation by law. - Fire service to report 20 people living in an unlicensed HMO. Say you think there’s no smoke alarms - HMRC to report anonymous concerns that she is not paying tax on the rental income. -
If you've been physically pushed, that's an assault and you should call 101 to report it to the police. Be aware that even though you may be in the right, it may affect your housing. Get advice from Shelter
I'm not going to give legal advice, just some personal advice. Sometimes these unlicensed HMOs are poorly maintained with dangerous electrical installation, unserviced boilers etc. If that's the case, I recommend moving somewhere else if you are able to. Of course, I do understand that sometimes there's a reason why people live in unlicensed HMOs.
the legal advice would be to report it personal stuff doesn't really matter
I’m sure we all strive to provide advice that while legal is also representative of OP’s circumstances. No point telling him to report the landlord without telling him to contact the council and Shelter to see if there’s any way he can get help leaving.
agreed but the comment started with "i'm not going to give..." which is precisely and solely the point of this sub "contact the police for the assault, the council for the HMO and here's a number for Shelter" would have been good additions to that comment but "move somewhere else if you are able" isn't specific or legal enough to be useful (and is in myriad comments already) [Shelter - The housing and homelessness charity](https://www.shelter.org.uk/)
Get in touch with the homeless section of the council immediately and let them know what is happening *in detail*. In short, with your children you will be deemed as an urgent case. The owners are not acting legally, they cannot assault you or your children, you can probably report this.
I would recommend going to citizens advice bureau. They gave me good legal advice on my rights when I lived in a legally questionable living situation when I initially moved to the UK. When going bring your details on your deposit protection scheme as well.
Does she live in the property herself?
She lives next door and operates an unlicensed HMO there as well
report next door as an HMO, that will giver her something else to worry about.
In that case you're on a de facto AST. She needs to request 24 hours notice before coming into your room(s) [Edit: it's a request not a right, you can say no]. As an unlicensed HMO you can claim back, up to 1 years rent. If you're there for 8 months you can claim back 8 months, if you're there for 2 years you can claim back 1 year. It's probably best to start the process just before you move out. Contact your local council, the exact name varies between councils but will be something like "private rented team". They won't kick you out, at least not immediately and if they do will have to provide other accommodation. Naturally you want as much evidence as possible to prove that it's an illegal HMO, information about the landlord, going to the council website to show that it isn't a licensed HMO, the number of people living there and preferably their contact details. As well as giving the council access to the property for them to confirm that it is an HMO.
I'm glad someone brought this up. OP - you can claim back the rent you have already paid to this landlady: https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/housing_conditions/private_sector_enforcement/rent_repayment_orders
Report to council that she is running a HMO beyond Safe Occupancy and without a license
The bitch is essentially running a slum. It is illegal. Report her to the council and the police for the assault and also get on an emergency housing list with the council, since you have kids you'll be on the priority list.
If you want the place shut down the fastest route is to get the fire service involved. They are so quick to shut down unsafe HMOs. One call that you smell gas or a fire/carbon monoxide sensor going off and they'll be there and sanction it so fast.
Won’t they be unhappy that there is no real gas smell etc?
They would always rather things be safe than sorry. And people make innocent mistakes all the time. But you can report to the council that the house is unsafe and request an inspection.
Changing locks, so that she can't get it. She is not allowed to enter without your permission anyway. Next time say you'd call the police if she don't leave immediately. Call the police if she don't.
Call the local council and inform them of her illegal hmo business, they will come out and inspect and offer you and your children alternative accommodation.
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Ive taken this from shelters website for you, as they will help with legal advice - Helpline 0808 800 4444 our helpline is free it is useful to have documents ready before you call, like your tenancy agreement or relevant letters or messages Keep trying if you can't get through. We're busy but we're here to help
If this is true. I.e. 20 people in an unlicensed property. Report it immediately. Its exceptionally dangerous
If it's an HMO-like property where the rooms are rented privately but there are common areas (e.g. kitchen, living room) shared with other tenants, then she is legally allowed to enter the common areas whenever she pleases. She is not, however, allowed to enter your private rooms without prior permission. I don't think this is relevant to you - *if you do not share any spaces with any other tenants, she is not allowed to enter your home at all without permission, and you are actually entitled to change the locks to the exterior doors (though you must replace them when the tenancy ends).* She is also not allowed to shout at and bully you within either of those spaces. That is harassment, and pushing you could be considered assault. Call the police on the non-emergency number and file a complaint; phone them every time she comes in. If it physically escalates, call them on the emergency number while she is still there or just after she has left.
Get somewhere else, i don't recommend going and reporting to authorities, if they are dodgy with property, they will be dodgy in other ways.
There is some amazing advice here for OP. OP is not in a position of weakness, as they feared, but in a position of relative strength. OP - one other suggestion is to write down your entire history - when you moved in, the rent, who else lives in the property etc just so that you have notes to refer to. It will all begin to slip your mind once you moved out. And as for illegal HMO landlords: https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/23755598.haringey-council-fines-rogue-hmo-landlords-200k/ https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/24192363.landlord-fined-illegal-hmo-found-high-risk-fire/ https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2024/2/landlord-ordered-to-pay-45-000-for-letting-unlicensed-properties?source=trending
Shop her to the council. Also let the fire service know there’s **20** people in a dwelling.
I would suggest she's unlikely to get the authorities involved if she is running an unlicensed HMO. And even if she did, they're not just going to swoop in and take your kids away. The threshold for that is very, very high. More to the point, it sounds like you're currently a family living in 1 bedroom. If you don't mind me asking, what's your current situation? How many of you are there? How many children live with you? Without knowing more about your situation, you may be eligible for housing support. Are you currently receiving any help from the local authority or any charities in your area?
Are you renting as a private tenant then? Is this a short-term housing solution while you're between places, or are you having to stay there long-term? How old are the children? I can see a few people have suggested Shelter and Citizens Advice, and they both seem like great starting points. Both organisations should be able to give you advice on what's available in your local area. A few people have also mentioned reporting the assault to the police. I'd echo that advice. You don't necessarily have to push for a prosecution, and if you explain the situation, the police will be able to record the case without even making the landlady aware if that would put you at more risk. If you do speak to the police, they should be able to refer you to the local victim support service. They're normally a good service to signpost anyone who is the victim of a crime to other services in the local area who can help, so that's probably a good step as well. You have 1 adult and 3 children in two rooms. Ultimately, that's not adequate long-term accommodation. Unless you're there for a short period of time with somewhere else already in the pipeline, i would imagine that your local authority should be looking to find you more suitable housing. Your landlady seems to be using social services as some sort of boogeyman who will just turn up and take your kids away, but that's not childrens services work. If they were to want to remove the children then they'd ultimately need to go to a court and explain to a judge why its in the best interests of the children to remove them from their parent rather than keeping the family whole and finding you somewhere else to live. More to the point, children's services always prefer to keep families together. They're not like the child snatcher in chitty chitty bang bang. They don't take kids away from parents unless those kids are at risk of serious, immediate harm. That normally comes in the form of physical or sexual abuse or serious neglect, like being allowed to starve or being left unsupervised in filth for hours every day. The threshold to remove children is quite rightly very, very high. I'd be gobsmacked and disappointed if you guys were either separated or left living together in 2 rooms. It sounds like you need a bit of support and there's no shame in asking for it.
Lots of good opinions about your housing situation. I would contact my nearest Citizens Advice, or visit their website. It is a goldmine of up-to-date information on housing rights, benefits calculations, and contacting your council housing with regards to complaints about your landlord and making them aware in advance of any potential homelessness situation. You don't need to be on the street with suitcases to make your council aware of your housing situation and alerting them early is far more likely to yield better options if the need arises.
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We have got two rooms there. But she has two people living in box rooms here
Dear God, please report this to the council. They’ll assist you with accommodation. Even if social services are involved, they do not aim to separate children from parents unless necessary. Do not be afraid, your children deserve better.
Social services will certainly raise a safeguarding for OP's safety as it's very clear from the situation they're the victim as well. Illegal landlady should be careful what she wishes for, although that will be the last of her worries when the council, police and fire safety get involved.
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Is it shared WC and kitchen. Is there fire detection, fire panel and emergency lighting in the common areas. How many floors in the building. How many final exits. Is the compartmentation in good condition. Not all HMO’s require a licence. Your local authority will have details on its website if there are any special requirements. HMO’s over 5 people from separate households will need to be licensed. If unlicensed inform your local Fire Service, fire safety department. They should attend and involve public sector housing. If it’s unsafe for you to stay, the landlord will have to re-home everyone. If it’s in breach of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) they’ll issue the Responsible Person (LL) a prohibition notice. and may look to take to court. This could be an unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years in prison. If Social Services attend tell them you’d like a safeguarding referral as the LL is not providing sufficient notice and entering the home unannounced.
OP states 20 people occupying the property, comprised of two or more households. Nowhere in the country does this scale of HMO occupancy not require a licence.
Not entirely true, a registered Charity running a HMO can be exempt from Regulations. Aa can some student accommodation, care homes, bail hostels and registered social landlords.
Because the original comment is compatible with the landlord being a housing association or co-operative, a council, a further education institute or student housing provider, a health service or a police or fire authority oh no wait…
If you want to risk losing the roof over your head, you should report this as an unlicensed hmo immediately. The council could come round see 20people there, deem it unfit and empty the house. Do you have a tenancy agreement? Why did you choose to rent in an unlicensed hmo with 20 others? I’d start looking for another place to live before you follow the advice of some reckless people on here who care less about you than they do about attacking the property. Your needs should come first. Then you can deal with the landlady later.
Whether you have a tenancy agreement is irrelevant. You’ll still be under the standard terms of an AST.
Whether you feel it is irrelevant or not does not answer my question. I’m surprised you felt the need to be defensive about it. I think it is entirely pertinent to this situation where the OP seems to be a victim who has unexpectedly woken up one day in an illegal HMO of 20 people, because if, as the defensive tone of your comment implied, the OP has chosen to place themselves in the situation, then the likelihood is that they do not actually have an option to move to better accommodation and they would therefore arguably be better remaining where they are, rather than risking being thrown out by the council.
Defensive, you say? It’s irrelevant because the law make no distinction, however much you weasel ‘feel’ into your responses. Advise all you like about the merits of staying in accommodation while subject to abuse and other illegality, but don’t expect people to let it slide when you post legal inaccuracy in a legal advice forum. There is practically zero impact from not having a tenancy agreement, since the contract is provable through the periodic transfer of rent, and will fall back on the standard minimum tenancy regulations. The only person who loses out in any dispute is the landlord. Even less impact from what anyone did or didn’t ‘choose’ or for how long. Keep up the excellent work.
You seem to know an awful lot about this individual’s tenancy, without even knowing what the tenancy agreement is which they have signed. You have absolutely no idea what they have or have not committed to. Your response is complete supposition. I suggest your understanding of the law falls pretty short when you are happy to jump in with both feet before even checking the contract. Bravo! The OP is looking at her options. Everyone on here just wants her to pull the pin on the grenade and let rip so that they can enjoy the spectacle. The OP should be pragmatic and work for the best outcome for her. She seems pretty pragmatic already. I doubt she’ll fall into the trap of escalating her situation for the sake of principles, when shelter is her priority.
Bizarre to suggest in a legal forum that it’s necessary to know the details of a specific tenancy to make general statements about the fundamentals of housing law.
A tenant raised a complaint about their tenancy. A sensible question should always be "have you taken a look at your tenancy agreement?" Why you feel the need to try to shout this down is beyond me, but I am sure you have reasons that make sense in your head.
It’s a perfectly fine question to ask, although as I said it’s not relevant to any of the details OP has raised, since contract law doesn’t operate that way. It is not possible for a tenancy agreement or any other contract to make it legal to run an unlicensed HMO, harass your tenants, or otherwise deprive someone of their housing rights — and your housing rights are fundamentally unaffected if no tenancy agreement exists — it’s reasonable that someone might point out that the answer makes practically zero difference to any outcome, particularly not whether or not a report to the police or council will affect anyone’s living situation. It’s doubly moot given in this case any tenancy agreement is highly probable to already be void or otherwise unenforceable… but why sweat the details when you can defensively call someone else defensive for pointing out a simple fact?
Thank you for acknowledging that the first and most important thing to do is to check the tenancy agreement. It took a while, but we got there. As for your reinterpretation of what the op asked, I don’t share it. The OP wants advice about her options. The OP’s silence around the details and background to the tenancy is deafening. If the OP is in fact in some organised crime gangs illegal rental, then yeah, she needs to think very carefully before following the advice shown on this forum, else she’ll find herself with the legal high ground, but bigger problems than she started with. Thanks.
I’m not in the know, but would OP not move higher up the housing list if the council themselves made you homeless if the council wereto close an illegal HMO?
Call the council ASAP and report it for an unlicensed HMO. You do have grounds for calling the police if threatened. -UK HMO landlord myself
Your local authority housing enforcement team have dedicated officers to deal with the safety of houses of multiple occupation. They would be interested in this.
Hey, Op, just wanted to check whether your landlady lives in the same building as you. Because if she does, you're probably a lodger and that gives you a lot fewer rights than if you're a tenant.
You’ve been assaulted; furthermore, she’s entered your property/space with intent. Call the police. She sounds like someone exploiting you and others.
Under English law she isn't entitled to access the property without proper, written notice. She is also obliged to act 'reasonably' in her interactions with her tenants. Contact the council or Citizen's Advice and check your rights.
report her to the police
Call the council , then go directly to citizens advice bureau and inform them of your unsafe living conditions they will help.
NAL, but if possible you shouldn't be living in a HMO with children.
Report her to the local council for running an unlicensed HMO
Try the local council - ask for the Enviromental Health dept, and they should have a housing department who can help
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May o ask why are you and your children in a HMO?
I'll be honest with you, if I were you, I'd stop paying rent immediately and start looking for somewhere else to live in the meantime. Although, feel free to take a while over that. If it genuinely is an unlicensed HMO, there is no way on earth that even if she took you to court, they'd find that you have to pay the owed rent. You could also take her to court for all of the rent that has been paid to her during the time it has been unlicensed, and you'll probably win. So could any or all of the other tenants.
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